Asking for trust
by PHAOE
Summary: Events during and after the episode 'masks'. Hint of RobinRaven friendship.


a oneshot of the events that happened during and immediately after the episode 'masks'….. at least in my opinion.

there is no real pairings, although maybe a hint of tenderness between robin and raven. that said, flame if you must; but remember: you were warned.

on the other hand, i would like constructive criticism.

i only own my ideas.

Asking for trust

Body and mind were drained.

Breakfast had been a depressing event, even by her standards. The whole team had been completely **_down_**; after all, they had taken a severe beating, something none of them were used to and were not likely to forget anytime soon.

"I had no idea Red X would pose such a threat." Robin pounded his hand into his fist. "I should've been there."

The other two either voiced their agreement (Beast boy, who also complained of the abuse that his hair had suffered as a result) or nodded their head (Starfire), as Cyborg focused on Raven, who was either agreeing with the two or cussing them all out from beneath the red x that still covered her mouth.

They all turned their attention to her.

"I don't know, Raven. That's kind of a good look for you." Beast Boy quipped, momentarily forgetting Robin's absence and his assaulted hair.

Raven shot them all a dark look, again saying something behind the covering.

Cyborg reached forward, grabbing a point of the red x. "Hold still…" And he pulled in one quick fluid motion.

Beast Boy and Starfire held their breath, flinching, waiting for the death and destruction that was sure to follow such pain.

But true to form, Raven held back any reaction; instead, saying in a plain voice, "Ow." Ignoring the burning tenderness that pulsated from her chin, she turned to Robin, "Even if you had been there, it wouldn't have made any difference." And even though her voice was as dry and emotionless as ever, it was clear that she was trying to reach out to him in some way.

And from this statement, Starfire heard something that brought a small, pretty little frown to her face. She barely shook her head, as if to rid herself of an unhappy thought, then added her own reassurances to that of Raven and Cyborg, who had just finished adding his own friendly opinion.

Robin responded to these friendly, helpful comments in short terse words. Standing, he flipped his black cape back and informed them that he was getting back to work; back to Slade.

The team watched his departing figure for a moment, concerned.

Breakfast broke up soon after that. As usual, nothing had been resolved.

Raven wearily made her way down the hall towards her room. Passing first Cyborg's room before pausing in front of the heavy steel door marked 'ROBIN'. No visible light shown from underneath the door; yet, still she hesitated.

She raised a clasped fist prepared to knock, then slowly lowered it, knowing that the room was empty. She turned from the dark door. Making her way to the next door, she keyed her access code into the touchpad. The door slide silently open and she stepped into the welcoming darkness.

Before she had even taken two steps into her sanctuary, door sliding shut after, hard hands grabbed at her from behind. One hand clamped over her mouth as the other surrounded her waist, trapping her arms to her sides.

She immediately tensed as she felt this intruder lean into her back to press his lips against her ear.

His breath was hot and heavy as he growled into her ear, "How did you know?"

Suddenly she knew; her spine relaxed. Although the low voice was not recognizable, she would know the aura that stood behind her anywhere.

The arms released her, and the voice once again demanded, "How did you know?"

"I would know you anywhere, Robin." And she turned towards his scowling face, which despite the dark or lack of light, she could see perfectly. "How did **_you_** know?" She countered, raising an eyebrow.

He almost smiled at that. "We both know that you don't need your mouth to take down an opponent."

"And lucky for you, no one else seems to know that little tidbit." She replied dryly.

He sighed, running his hands through his already mussed hair. "Thank you for playing along; I knew that I could count on you."

"May I ask you why?"

He sighed again. He understood that she was not asking why he could count on her, but rather why he needed to count on her at all. "I need Slade, and I'll do anything to get to him."

She slowly nodded her head, as if she expected this answer all along. "Robin," she ducked her head, hiding her eyes behind the thick curtain of her dark hair. "Robin, I believe in your reasons and I will support your choices; even if I do not understand them."

Robin reached forward, clasping her shoulder in an almost kind gesture. "It will only be for a little while longer; I promise." He squeezed her arm. "For now, please, just continue to play along." Removing his hand from its present position, he brought it up to her chin, cupping it gently and brining it up so that her eyes met his. "Please."

She hesitated. He was asking her to **_lie_**; something she never did to her friends, to her family. But, even as her thoughts flew over this, she knew she could not deny him; no matter what. And as her eyes met his mask, she whispered with as much feeling as she could bring forth even as her voice remained in its usual monotone, "I trust you."

Robin released her chin and nodded. "Thank you." He stepped towards the door, which opened, admitting him to the brightly lit hallway before closing behind him.

"I believe in you." She told the closed door.

Could it only be few hours ago that she had had that conversation with him? The man that they now faced was dark and menacing. But still she could feel him perfectly clear. This was Robin behind the mask. And because of this, she hesitated.

The others charged forward, as she watched.

'_How could they not know him?' _Even Starfire, the girl who loved him best, threw all of herself into the attack. '_How could they not see him? How could they not **feel** him?'_ And Raven could feel him. Feel the strength and the energy that was unmistakably Robin. Whereas, the 'Robin' they had encountered a moment ago, that had sent them after Red X, felt of nothing; an empty illusion.

Suddenly he was in front of her; the others were scrambling to their feet.

He moved in close, **_"Fight_**.**_"_** The voice was distorted, demanding but low so not to be overheard. Before she had a chance to respond, a black-covered foot lashed out kicking her in the chest, knocking her from the air and into a stack of wooden crates.

By the time she had gotten her breath back from having it, literally, kicked out of her and climbed once more to her feet, Beast Boy had been knocked to the tracks below.

The team watched in horror as the sound of the oncoming train barreled towards where the fallen Titan stood frozen.

With a flick of a black cape, Red X hurtled himself across the tracks, pulling Beast Boy to safety with him.

"Dude! Did you just save me?" Beast Boy asked, surprised.

The figure responded with a quick kick to the gut, then turned and fled.

The Titans rushed to Beast Boy's side, where he still lay from the kick that had knocked him down.

"Beast Boy! You are undamaged?" Starfire asked, worry and concern evident in her voice as she helped the small form to his feet.

"Who is that guy?" He wondered aloud, rubbing his stomach.

No one had an answer, and the three exchanged puzzled looks. Raven lowered her head, not meeting anyone's eyes.

The smoke cleared from the warehouse, revealing Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg to the room full of robots.

"Titans! Go!" The later yelled, charging forward.

A green octopus grabbed at a robot, as Raven turned to another, incasing it in black and levitating it away.

Cyborg lunged, catching a hold of a black cape before it could flee. "Gotcha!"

Red X struggled against the metal hand holding him in place. **_"Let go! Stop him!"_** Pointing to the door that Slade had disappeared through.

Having arrived late, Starfire flew in through the hole the three had created. She gasped at the scene before her. "No! Release him! He is --"

Reaching up, Red X ripped off the skull mask. "Me!" The familiar eye mask revealed.

Cyborg's mouth dropped open, his hand still clasped around the cape. Beast Boy's gasp could be heard in the background.

Raven hovered over, ignoring the surprise that was radiating off of Cyborg and Beast Boy. "Robin! W --"

Interrupting her he finally broke free, taking off in a dead run. "Slade's getting away! Come on!" Leaping over a cluster of robots, he ran after the man.

She could feel the sadness and the self doubt coming off of him in waves before he even opened the door.

Raven sat on the edge of the roof, not meditating, merely waiting; knowing that sooner or later he would hunt her out; knew that he would search the roof first. And sure enough, she felt him as he quietly came through the door, and made his way to her, pausing to stand behind her before settling himself down beside her with a sigh. His legs dangled over the side to join hers.

They stared out over the water, not looking at each other.

"Do you have anything to say to me?" His voice was thick and surly.

"No."

He sighed again, rubbing his gloved hand roughly over his face. "Sorry. Cyborg and Beast Boy jointly chewed me out, and Star just managed to make me feel guilty as hell."

"You made a choice, Robin. It was my choice to follow you."

He nodded his head, and dropped his hand back into his lap. "She said," he paused to clear his throat before continuing. "She said I was similar to him."

She turned her face to him, not needing to ask who 'him' was. "I disagree."

He brought his head up to meet her eyes.

"The only thing that you have in common with that man is a drive. But it is a drive for very different things. In him it is a desire to create destruction and grief within everything he touches. And you are driven to stop him before he can." She reached forward as if to grasp his shoulder, but stopped before her hand reached it's destination. "You are not Slade." Her voice was deep with suppressed feeling.

"Thank you, Raven." He whispered.

She broke the gaze, ducking her head. He looked at the lowered head a moment, and then turned his attention back to the dark water. A few more minutes passed in silence before she stood, and began to make her way to the access door.

She paused after going only a few steps, and turned back to him. "Robin?"

"Yeah." He didn't raise his head to her, instead continuing to look forward, a slight scowl on his face.

"I just had to say, for what it is worth; you did look pretty damn bad ass as Red X." A small grin and blush rose on her face.

He spun around, mouth gapping open.

But she had already phased through the roof leaving him alone, but with a large grin on his face.

hmmm. how was that?


End file.
